| The Role Of Emotions Emotions are a | | | | become people of emotion rather than the |
| legitimate and essential part of our human | | | | people of love which Jesus requires of us, |
| make-up. However, they should be regarded as | | | | and for which the Father has generously made |
| serving a similar function to the senses. Our | | | | available his grace, to assist us in become |
| senses give us information about our | | | | more deeply associated with him. Every time |
| environment and situations. That information | | | | we allow our emotions to dictate to us, they |
| is then processed by the brain so that we can | | | | are elevated into the position of mastery |
| take whatever action is appropriate and | | | | over us. This is not what God wants and it is |
| logical. Of course, our senses provide their | | | | not the purpose for which God gave us |
| information in various ways, so that our | | | | emotions. Except that they provide us with |
| sense of smell gives different, though often | | | | information, emotions do not matter in God. |
| complementary, information to, say, our eyes. | | | | All that matters for the Christian is what |
| Likewise, our emotions provide information, | | | | God has said, what God has promised. God does |
| albeit of different kinds. The Effects Of | | | | not lie. Whatever God has said, is saying, |
| Dominant Emotions Emotions are there to serve | | | | will say, is truth. God is Truth and what is |
| our needs. Yet we often allow them to become | | | | true is fact. Emotions and feeling do not |
| our masters instead of remaining our | | | | come into this in any way. The Function Of |
| servants. When this happens our behaviour, | | | | Emotions Emotions often do exert mastery over |
| and even our decisions, are dictated by what | | | | us. They can do this by telling us that we |
| we feel rather than by what we know and | | | | have been hurt. But whether this is of any |
| understand. For example, someone we know and | | | | consequence or not is actually outside the |
| love treats us in an unkind and apparently | | | | proper sphere of emotions. When we are hurt |
| unwarranted fashion, and our reaction may | | | | in this way, it is not the function of the |
| then be to distance ourselves from them, or | | | | emotions to determine what action should |
| not speak to them, or refuse to ask them to | | | | follow as a consequence. Their function is |
| participate in some event to which we would | | | | to inform, not to determine our actions. As |
| normally invite them, or even to criticise | | | | Christians, and as spiritual people, our |
| them to others. However, a more loving | | | | actions have to be determined through the |
| attitude, combined with a little reflection | | | | mental processes which it is the brain's |
| and less pride, might indicate that their | | | | function to carry out, properly regulated by |
| action was out of character and may have been | | | | our spirituality. These processes are |
| due to some stress or pressure from events in | | | | informed processes, not emotional reactions |
| which they were involved, or even to some | | | | to what may be no more than random stimuli: |
| (albeit temporary) illness or indisposition, | | | | things that we cannot control or determine |
| all of which we are perhaps unaware. Yet we | | | | and which might not have occurred had we been |
| have allowed our emotions to dictate our | | | | in a different place at the time. Once we |
| actions; they have ceased to be servants and | | | | understand clearly the roles and functions of |
| we have elevated them to the position of | | | | the emotional side of our nature we are in a |
| master over us. This has cost us considerable | | | | much stronger position to progress our growth |
| freedom. Any retaliation, or indulged | | | | in God through Jesus, whose life was a |
| feelings of self pity, will be unsatisfying | | | | continual example of how to control and use |
| compensations for what we have lost. We are | | | | emotions. |
| then being dominated by our emotions. We have | | | | |